


A Family Agenda

by afewreelthoughts



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Family Bonding, Family Fluff, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 01:17:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20788196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afewreelthoughts/pseuds/afewreelthoughts
Summary: The Tyrells meet Loras's new lover and take their measure of him.





	A Family Agenda

**Author's Note:**

> written for a prompt on tumblr: Loras/Renly, things you said when you met my parents (fluff please)
> 
> I own nothing and make no money from this. Everything belongs to George R.R. Martin.

"You have a lovely home, my lady."

Olenna Tyrell squinted up at the boy who had arrived with Loras. He was tall and lanky, his silhouette made of arms and legs, his shoulders not yet broad enough for his frame. In his too-bright tunic and his too-bright smile, he looked more like a troubadour there to entertain the crowd than a young lord.

"And you are?" she said, as though he were a servant who had spoken out of place, knowing full well who she was addressing.

"Lord Renly, my lady," Lord Renly said.

Olenna frowned. "I thought Lord Renly was Robert's age?"

"Lord _Stannis _is King Robert's age, mother," said her son, the Lord of Highgarden. "Loras is squire to Lord _Renly_, who is ten years younger."

"We couldn't get the other one?"

Mace laughed and clapped the tall boy on his shoulder. "We're so happy to see you here, Lord Renly, and so happy that you've brought Loras back to us for a few days!"

"It's an honor to be invited to Highgarden. After everything Loras has said about how beautiful it is here, I couldn't resist."

"We're so happy to meet you," Margaery said, curtsying. "Loras told me all about you in his letters."

"He better have," Renly grinned at Loras. "He writes to you about every day. I like to think he mentioned me once or twice."

Margaery grabbed Loras's hands. "You've been away so long, I have so much to show you!"

Loras grinned like the wild thing he was and began to run towards the gardens, pulling Margaery after him.

"Loras," Mace warned him.

Loras stopped in his tracks. "May I go with my sister, my lord?" he asked Lord Renly.

"Yes, of course," Lord Renly said.

"Sorry about my brother," Garlan said, "he and little Marge are so close, I'm surprised he's stayed away so long."

"It's fine. I'm glad he's happy," Lord Renly said.

"I can show you around, if you'd like?" He began to climb the stairs back into the palace, with Lord Renly in tow. "Willas is out with the horses, we'll see if we can find him later."

"Well, What do you think of him, mother?" Mace asked. "And say something nice, please."

Olenna wrinkled her nose. "He's very tall."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lord Renly was even taller three years later, now broad-shouldered as a man and dressed in all green and gold. Alerie watched him watching her daughter posing for a portrait in the shade. Margaery's nose twitched one way, then the other. She finally scratched it, just for a second. The artist sighed.

"May I look?" Alerie asked, and all three of them, Renly, the painter, and her daughter, turned and smiled at her in the same moment.

"Can I see it, too?" Margaery asked.

The painter sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, as you've already moved..."

Margaery leaned over the man's right shoulder as Renly leaned over his left. "You're right. That is a very small version of me."

Alerie eyed the miniature of Margaery. _So this is meant to topple a dynasty? _She thought it was awfully small for such a grand task.

Loras had returned to Highgarden to celebrate his knighthood and see his family just a few days prior, conspicuously accompanied by his former lord, now decked out in Tyrell colors. He would follow Renly back to the capitol, with her daughter’s portrait in tow. Alerie could not tell what the rush was. Loras was madly in love and had stayed by Renly's side for the entire visit. She understood that they didn’t want to be apart, and seeing her youngest son so happy left her feeling even happier. Loras was passionate, headstrong, and quick to anger; that there was someone to hold his hand along the way eased her worry for him. But if Renly was missed in the capitol, and if they had to leave again so soon, why come at all? Could they not have had the portrait delivered? Was it such precious cargo? And why did they need to rush back at all? Wasn't the news from King's Landing good news?

“It looks lovely,” Alerie said of the tiny painting.

“Margaery is lovely,” Renly said. Alerie could not tell what was going on behind his eyes as he smiled at her.

“My lord, would you walk with me?" Alerie asked.

Renly extended his arm, and she soon led the two of them deep into the maze.

This had all been Loras’s idea, at the start. He’d arrived with fire in his eyes, gushing about how they could overthrow the Lannisters and save the country. Alerie hoped her son did a better job of keeping his mouth closed in court than he did around his family.

“So my daughter is to be married to your brother?” she said. She almost enjoyed as Renly tried not to squirm.

“Not married_ immediately_, but it won’t take much convincing for Robert to set Cersei aside.”

Alerie walked in silence for a second. “And her children?”

“Whose children?”

“I was thinking of my own grandchildren. What will their fate be, as not-quite-royal bastards?”

“Well, if they are married, their children won’t be bastards.”

“And Cersei’s?”

Renly said nothing to that.

“One hears rumors," Alerie whispered, her lips close to his ear, "and wonders if they’ve altered in the telling from King’s Landing to Highgarden.”

Renly bit his lip. “There’s always some truth in the stories," he whispered back.

Alerie’s heart beat harder. Her daughter would be a queen, and her children would be kings and queens after her.

She studied Lord Renly in silence, how his tall frame belied how young he still was. 

“Tales of your brother, of his… appetites have also reached my ears.” She gripped his arm a little harder. “I won’t let Margaery be hurt. You know that?”

“I do.”

“Do you think he will hurt her?" 

“I think…”

They had paused. Renly stared ahead of them, at a statue of a maid looking over her shoulder. She was made of white marble, and set on a low pedestal; a passersby in enough of a hurry might mistake her for another guest, delightedly lost in the maze. 

“I think he’s a good man underneath it all," Renly said. "He has it in him to be.”

“They say you look just like him.”

He laughed. “People say lots of things.”

"I hope the similarity ends there, for Loras's sake."

His eyes went wide. “I would never hurt him!" His jaw was slack, the look on his face part offended, part concern. "Never on purpose at least, and I don't think Loras would let any slight by without mentioning it. Has..." The offense slipped away, leaving pure worry behind. "Has he said something to you? Did I hurt him?"

"What might you have done to hurt him, that you're so concerned about it?" "I... I... I don't know! I know I can be selfish and stupid, but I've tried to give him everything... I _want_ to give him everything."

"He's said nothing," Alerie reassured him, secretly terribly pleased with the striken look on his face. "I was just thinking: ten years ago you were a perfect stranger; now you hold the key to my daughter’s and my son’s happiness.”

“I don’t think I hold the key. Loras takes care of himself and doesn’t let anyone else do much of anything." 

"But you'll take care of him regardless," she said firmly, "whether or not his pride wants you to." 

"Of course."

"Because we take adopting someone into our family very seriously." 

Renly nodded. 

"You're already dressed for the part, though. That's a good sign." 

She began walking again, and Renly followed her. 

Eventually, eventually, he said what she knew he'd say. "Am I... a member of your family?" 

"If Loras considers you one, then you are," she said.

"That's very kind of you," he said. 

They emerged out of the other side of the maze to see Loras and Olenna waiting for them.

"There you are!" Loras said. "I'd been looking all over for you!" He wrapped an arm around Renly's shoulders and kissed his cheek. 

Renly's eyes went even wider than they had before. He must not have expected this kind of openness here in Highgarden; he'd have time to get used to it. 

Alerie turned to speak goodmother, and waited until they were far away before watching them again. 

"I suppose we're stuck with him, aren't we?" Olenna said, rolling her eyes.

In the distance, Loras laughed and clung to Renly's hand.

Alerie smiled. “I suppose we are.” 


End file.
